Suspect wanted for
failing to register, was
driving a stolen car
BY DEBORAH BUCKHALTER '
dbuckhalter@jcfloridan.com

A chase through Jackson County
and two neighboring counties Tues-
day, afternoon resulted in the arrest
of the driver who was also a for-
mer prisoner being sought for fail-
ing to register as a sex offender.
Authorities also learned as a result
of the chase that the car involved
had been stolen. According to Cot-
tondale' Police Chief William Wat-

ford, the black Audi driven by Chris-
topher Jay Plemmons was reported
stolen in Atlanta.
An officer with the
Cottondale Police
.,j 't Department tried to
pull Plemmons over
for speeding around
L d 4:50 p.m. Tuesday.
Plemmons By 5 p.m. the car was
nearing a residential
area in Bonifay. The pursuing of-
ficer, Cpl. Steve Otis, was joined
by deputies from Washington and
Holmes counties, and eventually by
officers with the Bonifay Police De-
partment as the chase, entered their
jurisdictions.
Watford said Bonifay and Holmes

' County officers arrested Plemmons
after locating the Audi on a side
road. He had exited the car, and was
detained without further incident
off East BayAvenue in Bonifay.
The chase was reported under
way on Sapp Road near Cottondale.
It then moved to U.S. Highway 90,
heading west. The pursuit reached
speeds of 120 miles per hour and
continued through Washington,
County and into Holmes County.
On two occasions, Watford reported
that Plemmons "turned the vehicle
into oncoming traffic trying to cause
an accident." Pursuing officers re-
ported that the driver ran other

See OFFENDER, Page 5A

I . .

Marianna AAA All-Stars

eliminated from district

tournament. See more

on page IB.

Vol. 88 No. 119

arrested on charge

ofmolestation

From staff reports

A registered sex offender
from Sneads has been ar-
rested on a new sex of-
fensp charge, according to
a press release from the
Jackson County Sheriff's
Office.'
The sheirff's officer re-
liorted that oh Monday, 18-
year-old Bradley J. Jackson
allegedly committed lewd

, r

and lascivious molestation
on a person under 16 years
of age.
Jackson
was ar-
rested on
that charge
S Wednesday
and taken to
Jackson the Jackson
County jail.
No further details were im-
mediately available.

Woman detained after leisurely pursuit

Allegedly resisted arrest '

when finally pulled over

From staff reports

A Pensacola woman was
charged after she refused to
stop when a Florida High-
way Patrol trooper tried to'
pull her over Tuesday on
a seat belt violation. She
didn't even pull over after
the officer got out of his
vehicle and confronted her
at a traffic light,. according
to the arrest report.
She wound up being
taken to the ground in a
struggle with the trooper
once she did pull into a
parking lot and stop.
The driver, Brandi Renee
Merritt, 27, was arrested
and charged with resisting
arrest with violence and
fleeing and attempting to
elude a-law enforcement
officer.
Trooper B.A. Eldridge
wrote in his arrest report
that he first tried to stqp
Merritt on U.S Highway 90
near Zaxby's. He saw. that
a youngster in the car was
not properly restrained.
The trooper also observed
that Merritt wasn't wearing
a seatbelt and was talking
on a cellphone.
According to the trooper,
the child was sitting on the
front edge of the rear seat
and leaning into the front
of the car.
The trooper activated his
lights just east of Wendy's,
but Merritt didn't stop, El-
dridge reported. Merritt

,changed lanes a few times
and obeyed the traffic sig-
nals as the
trooper pur-
sued, and
she eventu-
ally got in the
left turn lane
at Jefferson
Merritt Street.
At that
point, the trooper got
out of his vehicle and ap-
proached Merritt's car
while it was stopped. Mer-
ritt wouldn't at first make
eye contact, the trooper re-
ported, but did eventually
acknowledge him.
"I' observed her on the
phone, and that she had
sweat running down her
forehead and underarms,"
the trooper stated. "I
knocked on the window
in an attempt to get her
attention, at which time I
did get her to look toward
me. I advised her to open
the door of the vehicle,
at which time, still on the
phone, shook her head no
and was saying something
that I could not hear due to
the window being up."
According to the trooper,
Merritt appeared "as if she
might be willing to fight
or flight." When the light
turned green, the vehicle
sped away and turned
north on Jefferson Street.
Eldridge continued behind

See CHASE, Page 5A

MARK SKINNER/FLORIDAN
A Florida Highway Patrol trooper searches the trunk of a car involved in a low-speed chase that ended near the intersection of
Clinton and Jefferson streets in Marianna Tuesday afternoon.

SSunmmer Literacy Adventures

; FirstLady toutsjoys of reading

I 1 I
MARK SKINNER/FLORIDAN
Florida's First Lady Ann Scott answers questions from children participating in the
Golson Elementary School's summer program during a visit to Florida Caverns State Park
Wednesday.

BY DEBORAH BUCKHALTER
dbuckhalter@jcfloridan.com

Florida's First Lady came to Jackson
County Wednesday morning, flying in
from Tallahassee to visit a group of chil-
dren at Florida Caverns State Park.
Here to promote the Summer Literacy
Adventures she launched in May, Ann
Scott encouraged the Golson Elemen-
tary students to make a summer reading
pledge as she has done.
"Atlas Shrugged" is on her summer
reading list the 1,168-page volume was
suggested by her husband, Florida Gov.
Rick Scott.
She hopes to finish that volume and
four more books by season's end. The
close of the school year shouldn't mean
that learning should stop, she told the
youngsters.

VIDEO
) For video of the first lady reading to
Golson Elementary students, go to
jcfloridan.com

Rather, she said they should use some
of their free time in summer to broaden
their knowledge for a running start into
the new academic year.
She said 7,000 young people across the
state have signed reading pledges so far.
Ann Scott encouraged the children to
follow her example and visit their lo-
cal libraries every chance they get. From
a middle-class family, Scott said there
wasn't a lot of unencumbered money to
spend on costly books when she was a
child. Instead, she foraged the library for

See VISIT, Page 5A

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HOW TO GET YOUR
NEWS PUBLISHED
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Submit your news or Community Calendar
events via email, fax, mail, or hand delivery.
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GETTING IT RIGHT
The Jackson County Floridan's policy
is to correct mistakes promptly. To
report an error, please call 526-3614
Monday-Friday.

,JCFLOR I DAN-COMI

Commrrunity Calendar

TODAY
n Jackson County Farmers Market is open 6:30
a.m. to'noon (or until goods sellout) Tuesdays,
Thursday and Saturdays in Madison Street Park in
Marianna.
a Summer II registration for new and returning
students, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Chipola College. Call
718-2211; visit www.chipola.edui.
Free Diabetes Class -10 a.m. at the Jackson
County Senior Citizens center. Instructor: Mary
Beth Gurganis of the Jackson County Health De-
partment. Call 482-5028.
) Tourism meeting -The board of RiverWay
South Apalachicola Choctawhatchee meets to
discuss the expansion of regional tourism, 11a.m.
in the St. Luke's Episcopal Church Fellowship Hall,
Marianna, with a Dutch-treat lunch, guided tour -
of the historic St. Luke's cemetery and Battle of
Marianna site. Public welcome.
n Orientation Ito 4 p.m. at the Goodwill Career
Training Center, 4742 Highway 90 in Mariapna. Reg-
ister for free job placement and computer training
classes offered to people with disadvantages/dis-
abilities. Call 526-0139.
n The Jackson County Library Board convenes
for its monthly meeting at 1:30 p.m. in the Jackson
County Commission chambers, Marianna. Agenda
includes welcoming-the new director, other projects.
Public welcome.
) Free Summer Concert Series Radio Flyers, 7
to 9 p.m. at Madison Street Park. Bring lawn chairs
and coolers. Presented by Jackson County Parks
department and Main Street Marianna. Call 718-
5210 or 718-1022.
Alcoholics Anonymous closed discussion, 8
to 9 p.m. in the AA room of First United Methodist
Church, 2901 Caledonia St., Marianna. Attendance
limited~to persons with a desire to stop drinking.

The submission deadline for this calendar is two days before publication. Submit to: Community Calendar, Jackson County Floridan, P. O. Box 520, Marianna, FL32447,
email editorial@jcfloridan.com, fax (850) 482-4478 or bring items to 4403 Constitution Lane in Marianna.

Police Roundlup

MARIANNA POLICE
The Marianna Police De-
partment listed the following
incidents for June 21, the latest
available report: -----;
One missing .=
adult, one suspi- a -' --
cious vehicle, 'CRME
two suspicious 4 Z'
persons, one re-
port of mental illness, one bur-
glary, three verbal disturbances,
one panic alarm, two traffic
stops, two follow-up investiga-
tions, one assault, one fight in
progress reported, four animal
complaints, one retail theft, two
assists of other agencies and
two public service calls.

JACKSON COUNTY

SHERIFF'S OFFICE
The Jackson County Sheriff's
Office and county Fire/Rescue
reported the following incidents
for June 21, the latest available
report. (Some of these calls may
be related to after-hours calls
taken on behalf of Graceville
and Cottondale police depart-
ments): One drunk pedestrian,
one accident with no injuries,
one missing adult, four abah-
doned vehicles, one reckless
driver, two suspicious vehicles,
two suspicious incidents, one
report of mental illness, one
burglary, four verbal distur-
bances, two drug offenses, 22
medical calls, three burglar
alarms, one report of shoot-
ing in the area, 15 traffic stops,
four larceny complaints, two

criminal mischief complaints,
one civil dispute, one trespass-
ing complaint, one assault, one
noise disturbance, one animal
complaint, one sex offense, one
assist of a motorist or pedestri-
an, two retail thefts, two assists
of other agencies, three public
service calls, three transports
and three threat/harassment
complaints.

4-H holds Global Cuisine Day
Special to the Floridan and using chopsticks to enjoy eating Campers also learned how to read
it. the labels on boxes and understand

The Jackson County 4-H program
kicked off summer with their Glob-
al Cuisine Day Camp. Twenty-one
youth, ages eight through 14, par-
ticipated in the two-day camp and
learned to make Japanese, French,
Mexican and English recipes.
On the first day, 4-H Agent Ben
Knowles showed the children how
to measure and mix the ingredients
to make Israeli doughnuts, with ev-
ery camper having a turn to cook the
doughnuts.
Master Gardener Anita Crossley
taught campers how to cut fruit and
vegetables to make salsa and pre-
pare chips.,
Family and consumer science
agent Mandy Griffin introduced
campers to sushi and guided camp-
ers through each step of making it

Campers continued cooking the
next day by making crepes, rata-
touille, and bangers and mash. The
campers were excited to participate ,
in making all of the special, dishes
and even more thrilled to sample ev-
ery one of them.
Activities promoting healthy liv-
ing were also incorporated into the
camp. Both mornings started with
an invigorating zumba routine led by
fitness trainer Jodi Bontrager of Inte-
gras Wellness Center.. Campers also
learned the proper ways to stretch
and warm up before starting their
workouts. 4-H program assistant
Patti Peacock taught the. children
valuable lessons in portion control,
what constitutes a serving, and how
to use the food guide pyramid in un-
derstanding the basic food groups.

the recommended daily allowances
of each food item.
The Global Cuisine 4-H camp pro-
vided two days of learning, working
together as teams, and making new
friends. As campers left the last day,
they asked their 4-H camp leaders if
they could please come back for at
least one more day of cooking fun.
4-H is. the youth development
program of the Florida Cooperative
Extension Service and the Univer-
sity of Florida's Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences. 4-H is open
to all youth between the ages of five
through 18.
For more information about join-
ing 4-H or starting a 4-H club in your
community, please contact the Jack-
son County 4-H Agent Ben Knowles
at 482-9620.

Bike-a-thon rolls

out on Saturday
Special to the Floridan Riders can stop to re-
fresh at one of the water
The Fifth Annual Little stops that will be set up
*Zion Community Asso- along the way, the Jackson
ciation Bike-a-thon kicks County Sheriff's Office
off at 7 a.m. Saturday. will be providing added
The event starts at 7562 security.
Harvey Court, right off of While there is no fee to
Welcome- Church Road, participate, donations
in Sneads, and ends at are welcome. The event
the last bridge of Howell's is sponsored by the Little
Fish Camp, below the Zion Community Asso-
Three Rivers State Park ciation Inc.
entrance. Blood pressure To sign up, call 482-8081
readings will be recorded or 592-2368, or stop by
for all participants, prior the Haircut Pad at 4468
to the start of the ride. Jackson St. in Marianna.

118th Bevis reunion

is set for Saturday

Special to the Floridan

Descendants of Wil-
liam Langley and Jennie
Palmer Bevis will gather
for their 118th family re-
union at 11 a.m. Saturday,
at the
and Park in Bascom.
Organizers report that
there are many fourth-
and fifth-generation di-
rect descendants living in
Jackson County and the
surrounding area. Those
with questions about
their Bevis lineage are
welcome to the reunion;
a family history will be

available, for you to find
your ancestors.
A group picture will be
taken at noon and lunch
will be served. Attendees
are asked to bring one or
two of their favorite dish-
es and serving utensils;
everything else will be
provided.
Some Bevis crest (coat-
of-arms) memorabilia
will be available, includ-
ing grave markers, note-
cards and shirts.
For more information,
contact Dianne Oswald
at 526-3815 or dianne@
oswald.us.

Tell your story
The Jackson County Floridan is asking readers to suggest
interesting and unusual jobs and companies that can be
featured in an upcoming edition of the paper. We are looking
for people who do interesting or unusual things for companies
here in Jackson County that residents may hot even be aware
exist. Please forward your suggestions to editorial@jcfloridan.
com or call 850-526-3614. and ask to speak to someone in the
newsroom

SUBMITTED PHOTO
Dr. Robert Dunkle (left) shown here with his wife, Nancy Deloney Dunkle, was chosen by his
peers to receive the Chipola College Faculty/Administrator/Other Professional Award for the
2010-201U academic year.

Marianna Duplicate Bridge Club results
Special to the Floridan Lewis.
) Second place Sara Lewis and Ida
The Marianna Duplicate Bridge Club Knowles.
plays bridge every Monday afternoon in Third place Dorothy Baxter and Jane

the St. Luke's Episcopal Church Parish
Hall.
For the week of June 20, the winners
were as follows:
n First place Lib McRae and John

from Georgia College d .
Special to the Floridan of Science in Psychology 1 )
from Georgia College &
TonyaMedders from Bas- State University in Milled- MONDAY n
com has earned a Bachelor geville, Ga. NIGHT SPECIAL $5.001

Maureen Bottrell, a forensic geologist for the FBI, testifies in the Casey Anthony murder case at the Orange County Courthouse
in Orlando on Wednesday.

Many scientists for defense

testify in Anthony trial

The Associated Press

ORLANDO A chemist who col-
lected and tested air samples from
the trunk of Casey Anthony's car
testified Wednesday that he couldn't
say for sure there was ever a body
inside of it, statements that conflict
with prosecutors' experts.
Defense witness Michael Sigman
pulled the samples from Anthony's
trunk six days after Anthony was
arrested on murder charges of her
2-year-old daughter, Caylee. The
child's skeletal remains were discov-
ered in a wooded area in December
2008. He was one of five witnesses to
take the stand as the defense contin-
ued to attack the prosecution's con-
tentions that the toddler was suffo-
cated by duct tape and then spent at
least some time in the trunk.
"I cannot conclusively determine
that there were human remains in
the trunk," said Sigman, a chem-
istry professor at the University of
Central Florida.
Anthony is charged with first-de-
gree murder in her child's death.
She has pleaded not guilty and faces
a possible death sentence if con-
victed. The defense says the tod-
dler drowned in her grandparents'
swimming pool.
Anthony's defense team also
called a geologist, toxicologist and
fiber analyst all from the FBI -
as witnesses on Day 25 of the trial,

"I cannot conclusively determine that there were
human remains in the trunk."
Michael Sigman,
Defense witness/Chemistry professor at the University of Central Florida

which was only a half-day because
of a prior commitment for Judge
Belvin Perry.
Sigman's testimony conflicted
with research scientist ArpadVass, a
former colleague at Oak Ridge Na-
tional Laboratory. Vass, a witness for
the prosecution, said he determined
human decomposition in the trunk
based on an unusually high amount
of chloroform found on a carpet
stain.
Prosecutor Jeff Ashton pointed
out during his cross-examination
of Sigman that by the time he col-
lected his air samples, the trunk's
carpet and spare tire cover had been
removed.
"So your samples only tell you
want was in the air, it doesn't tell
you where (any gasses) came from,
correct?" Ashton said.
"Yes," Sigman responded.
Ashton also noted that Sigman
didn't have the collection instru-
mentVass recommended and there-
fore couldn't take a large sample.
Sigman only found "traces" of
chloroform and a primary presence
of gasoline, but Ashton got him to
acknowledge the chloroform pres-

ent could have come from a source
other than cleaning supplies like a
bottle of bleach.
"There's nothing in our results that
indicate the source of chloroform...
we simply know it's there," Sigman
acknowledged.
Chloroform or other signs of hu-
man decomposition could not be
found on any of the clothing from
Casey Anthony's closet, or on trash
and debris from the trunk, FBI hair
and fiber analyst Karen Lowe testi-
fied. Lowe also said that of hun-
dreds of hairs collected from items
at the Anthony home and inside the
car, only one exhibited any charac-
teristics of human decomposition.
FBI geologist Maureen Bottrell
testified that she analyzed 22 pairs
of shoes taken, from the Anthony
home. She said three pairs of shoes
had significant enough amounts of
soil to compare with samples taken
from the site where Caylee's were
found. But she found the soil on
those shoes differed.
Perry had originally hoped the
jury could start deliberations next
week, but that timeline will likely be
delayed at least a week.

JACKSON COUNTY FLORIDAN www.jcfloridan.com

Scott signs bill

to cut $210M

in water taxes

The Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH
- Gov. Rick Scott signed
a bill Wednesday intended
to cut property taxes paid
to the state's water man-
agement districts, but the
move also will likely to lead
to job cuts among those
working for the districts.
In a brief event at the
South Florida Water Man-
agement District in West
Palm Beach, the Republi-
can governor ceremonially
signed into law the esti-
mated $210 million in tax
cuts.
The bill was actually
signed last month.
Scott stood before a
large, banner proclaiming
"Promises Made, Prom-
ises Kept" and said the law
would help fulfill his cam-
paign mantras of stimulat-
ing the economy and job
growth.
"The 'most important
step we can take to create'
jobs in our state is to lower,
taxes," he said.
The law requires the Leg-
islature to annually review
the budget and tax rate for
each of the state's five wa-
ter management districts
and sets caps on the rate.
Scott said, in effect, "the
public will have a lot better
handle on how their mon-
ey is spent" and it holds the
districts accountable.
The districts have not
yet finalized budgets for
the fiscal year starting
Oct. 1, but the law will
prompt major cuts. The
largest of the districts, the
South Florida Water Man-
agement District a 16-
county area of central and
South Florida with 7.7 mil-
lion residents will see
cuts of about $130 million.
Its budget was about $1.1
billion last year.
Joe Collins, chairman of
that district's board, ac-
knowledged "streamlin-
ing" but sidestepped fur-
ther questions on layoffs
among its 1,900 workers.

He insisted the district's
core duties would be
unaffected.
"We can still function,"
he said. "It's going to redi-
rect us to really focus."
Scott, too, acknowledged
the likely job losses, but
said they were a means
to stirring private-sector
growth.
"Most people believe
government is larger than
it should be," he said.
Rep., Jeff Clemens, D-
Lake Worth, called Scott's
appearance at the water
management district in-
sensitive given the number
of jobs that are likely to be
cut.
"Can you imagine the
governor showing up to
celebrate your unemploy-
ment?" he said. "We can
agree to disagree on the
merits of the bill the gov-
ernor signed. But to come
to Palm Beach County and
rub salt in the wounds of
people who will soon go
home to their families un-
employed is insulting and
unnecessarily cruel. "
Scott's office says the
water district tax cuts will
amount to the following:
36 percent for the South-
west Florida district; 30
percent for the South
Florida district; 26 percent
for the St. Johns district; 8
percent for Suwanee River
district; and no change
for the Northwest Florida
district.
Kirk Fordham, head of
the Everglades Founda-
tion, said the savings to
homeowners would be in-
significant and said Scott's
appearance was especially
insulting given a severe
drought that has hit the
state.
"Since the water man-
agement district's mission
is to protect our natural re-
sources and water supply,
I'm not certain that gutting
the agency in the midst of
a massive water crisis is ei-
ther smart politics or very
good policy," he said.

US judge says Fla. death sentences are unconstitutional

The Associated Press

MIAMI -A federal judge
has declared that Florida's
method of imposing the
death penalty is uncon-
stitutional because jurors
are not required to make
specific findings on the
aggravating factors that in-
crease a sentence from life
in prison to death.
The ruling by U.S. Dis-
trict'iudge Jose E. Martinez
applies only to the case of
a convicted murderer cur-
rently on Florida's Death
Row, but legal experts say
it will likely spark a series
of challenges across the
state in death cases. They
also say it could be used to
seek stays of execution.
"It could have a dramatic
impact, a life or death im-

pact," said Kendall Coffey,
a former federal prosecu-
tor now in private prac-
tice. "It says that essential
elements in criminal cases
have to be found by a jury,
not by a judge."
In Florida death penalty
cases, jurors who voted
to convict a defendant of
murder are then asked
whether to recommend
death or life as punish-
ment. The judge then gives
"great weight" to the rec-
ommendation but is not
required to follow it.
' The recommendation is
by majority vote. But ju-
rors are not asked to make
specific decisions on ag-
gravating factors necessary
to impose death, such as
whether it was a crime for
money or was particularly

heinous and cruel. Those
particular rulings are left
to the judge.
In his 94-page ruling
Monday, Martinez said
Florida's system violates a
2002 U.S. Supreme Court
decision that voided Ari-
zona's method of imposing
death sentences. That rul-
ing, Martinez said, makes
clear that jurors must de-
termine which specific
factors apply in each case.
"The defendant has no
way of knowing whether
or not the jury found the
same aggravating factors
as the judge," Martinez
wrote. "Indeed, the judge,
unaware of the aggravat-
ing factor or factors found
by the jury, may find an
aggravating circumstance
that was not found by the

jury."
Florida is the only state
with this exact system, al-
though many others have
hybrids that involve both
jury and judge. Martinez
said the Florida Supreme
Court has not found that
the state's method of im-
posing capital punish-
ment violates the Consti-
tution, even in light of the
2002 U.S. Supreme Court
decision.
Howard Simon, execu-
tive director of the Ameri-
can Civil Liberties Union
'of Florida, said the deci-
sion raises a new round of
questions about the fun-
damental fairness of the
death penalty.
"This is yet another sign
of the systematic injus-
tices that make up Flori-

State
Briefs

Wildfire risk leads to
fireworks bans
TALLAHASSEE r
Drought conditions and
rampant wildfires have
forced 29 Florida counties
to ban open fires. And for
22 of those counties, the
ban covers fireworks.
The Florida Division of
Forestry said Tuesday that
more than 440 active wild-
fires were roaring across
the state.
Two forest rangers were
killed fighting one of the
fires at the Georgia border
Monday.
Heat and lack of rain
have contributed to one
of the worst years for
wildfires in recent history
in Florida.
Alachua, Marlon, Polk,
Volusia, Brevard and
Osceola are among the

counties where local gov-
ernments have included
fireworks in their burn
bans.
The forestry division
says that through Tuesday,
3,800 wildfires have con-
sumed nearly 400 square
miles in Florida.

Scott aide approved
as vets chief
TALLAHASSEE Gov.
Rick Scott and the Florida
Cabinet have appointed
Scott's chief of staff to
head the Department of
Veterans' Affairs.
The panel held a special
meeting Wednesday to
name Mike Prendergast to
succeed retired Navy Adm.
Leroy Collins Jr. who died
last year.
Agriculture Commis-
sioner Adam Putnam was

the only panel member
present. The others, in-
cluding Scott, participated
by phone.
Scott has not yet hired
a replacement for Pren-
dergast, a retired Army
colonel.
The panel only last week
named Earl Daniell, then
the department's chief of
staff, as interim secretary
after Bob Milligan retired.

WM

Milligan, a retired
Marine lieutenant gen-
eral who previously had
served as Florida's elected
comptroller, was interim
secretary after Collins,
son of a Florida governor,
was killed by a vehicle that
hit him while bicycling in
Tampa.

day's death penalty system,
which is already plagued
by wrongful convictions,
racial inequities, the high-
est rate of exonerations
and inadequate legal rep-
resentation," Simon said.
"As the foundation of Flor-
ida's death penalty system
continues to crumble, it
becomes harder to justify."
The ruling does not au-
tomatically void Florida
law, but other judges could
follow it if lawyers chal-
lenge the system around

the state. There could also
be attempts to modify jury
instructions to comply
with the decision.
In addition, if the state
appeals as is likely, a deci-
sion upholding Martinez's
ruling by the 11th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals
would have the effect of
striking down Florida's
sentencing system in death
cases, Coffey said. The of-
fice of Attorney General
Pam Bondi did not imme-
diately comment.

The funeral service for
Helen C. Williams will be 2
p.m. Thursday, June 23,
2011 at the Greenwood
Baptist Church. Burial will
follow in the church ceme-
tery with James & Sikes Fu-
neral Home Maddox Chap-
el directing.

Visit
From Page 1A

most, of her reading
material.
She read the youngsters
two selections about caves
and invited them to visit
the bdokmobile parked
nearby before they left for
the day. During her visit,
the youngsters gave a gift
of music to the first lady.
Their. voices carrying
across the park, they sang
a peace-themed tune for
her under the direction
of Riverside Elementary
School Chorus Director
Flora Davis.
Scott hoped students
would do some of their
reading in natural sur-
roundings like the park, as
it accomplishes dual goals
of enjoyment in learning
,from books and learning
from the world itself.
As she took questions
from the crowd of young
people, Scott illustrated
another advantage of visit-
ing parks in their quest to
learn.
-A student asked her why
stalactites are white on
their tips.
With Florida State Parks
Director Donald V Forr-
gione standing by with his
knowledge on the subject,
Scott yielded the floor to
him. He explained that cal-
cium deposits are respon-
sible for that coloration
on the dripstones hanging
from the ceilings of lime-
stone caves.
At. Florida Caverns State
Park, youngsters can find
such experts every day
among staff members, and
the visitors' center there
has a wealth'of informa-
tion in print.
After her presentation,
Mrs. Scott chatted with
Jackson County School
Superintendent Lee Miller
arid other representa-
tives of the school system,
the county library, state
parks and environmental
officials.
Then she went under-
ground to walk through
the park's touring cave.

SURPRISE!

MARKSKINNER/FLORIDAN
Andrea Maldonado, Kelli Lees and Mayrelis Huet menace Tyler Goertzen as they perform a mime on the
sidewalk along Lafayette Street in Marianna Tuesday. They were part of a group from Grace Fellowship
L reage Church in Loxahatchee, who were visiting the area to help out at Chipola Christian Mission.
....... ..... ....

Offender
From Page 1A

vehicles off the road, and at least
one motorist narrowly avoided a
head-on collision with the speed-
ing car.
By 5 p.m., the chase was near-
ing a residential area in Bonifay,
and Plemmons turned onto a
side road. Cpl. Otis, who was un-
familiar with the area, reported
that Plemmons eluded him at this
point. Officers and deputies in
Holmes County were able to track
the car down. The Bonifay Police
Department reports that the Audi
detoured north off U.S. 90 onto
Magnolia Street, where Plem-
mons got out near a residence
and ran. Officers from Bonifay
and Holmes County located him
on Hubbard Street. Bonifay police
also reported that there was an
adult male passenger from Geor-
gia in the car, and that the indi-
vidual was released at the scene

Chase
From Page 1A

her with his lights and siren on.
Merritt stopped at the intersec-
'tion of Jefferson and Clinton, with
the trooper still behind her with
his lights and siren activated. She
then traveled through the inter-
section and pulled over to a park-
ing space just north of the Jackson
County School Board office. .
Eldridge said he got out of his

Reward for

information on

Mega Gym robbery

From staff reports

A $500 reward is being offered for infor-
mation leading to the arrest of the person
who robbed and bound an employee at the
Mega Gym on Kelson Avenue early Tues-
day morning, according to a press release
from the Marianna Police Department.
Anyone with information in the case
is asked to call Sgt. Cheree Edwards at
526-3614.
A 17-year-old employee was found tied
up by a parent coming in to drop off her
child around 7 a.m.
The employee told police a man she'd
seen in the church parking lot next door
came into the building behind her as she
opened up for the day. She reported that
he tied her up with a jump rope, covered
her mouth with duct tape, and stole mon-
ey from her before fleeing. She told police
he was armed with a knife and threatened
to kill her.
The suspect is described as a white male
with a black goatee between 20 to 30 years
of age, and about six feet tall.
He was wearing stone-washed beige
carpenter-style pants, a plaid flannel but-
ton-up shirt with a dark T-shirt beneath,
and a brimmed grey ski mask with eyehole
cut-outs.

with no charges filed.
The passenger said he was un-
aware the car was stolen and had
caught a ride with Plemmons in
search of work in Florida, accord-
ing to Bonifay Police Chief Chris
Wells.
Plemmons, 3, is charged by
Bay County with failing to register
as a sex offender. His sex offender
status stems from an offense in
1994.
According to the charges
against him in Bay County, this is
the second time he has been ac-
cused of not properly registering
as required. The Department of
Corrections website indicates he
served a short prison term for his
first failure to register.
In the.first instance, which oc-
curred in March of 2008, Plem-
mons gave authorities several
false names and did not register
some specific addresses he was
associated with at the time, ac-'
cording to his arrest affidavit.
Authorities in Bay County
sought another arrest warrant

car and approached Merritt's car.
She had let the window down but
the door was locked. He told her
to get out of the car, but she re-
fused and began arguing with El-
dridge about why he was trying to
stop her. At that point, the trooper
reached in and unlocked the driv-
er's door, opened it, and grabbed
Merritt's left arm in an attempt to
take her out of the car.
When she snatched her arm
away, the trooper got his hand-
cuffs and told her she was under
arrest. He reached into the car a

for Plemmons this June 17. In the
most.recent case, officials said
Plemmons failed to obtain a valid
driver's license or identification
card as he is required to do under
sex offender statutes.
The Florida Department of Cor-
rections website shows Plem-
mons was convicted in 1994 of
lewd and lascivious or indecent
assault or act upon a child.
According to Bay County re-
cords, Plemmons was accused
of having sex with a 12-year-old
runaway on multiple occasions in
April 1994, when Plemmons was
19 years old.
The Department of Corrections
site indicates he was sentenced to
a three-year prison term for that
offense, and served concurrent
sentences for grand theft of a mo-
tor vehicle and burglary. -
In 2004, Plemmons was sen-
tenced to serve a year in prison
for battery upon a law enforce-
ment officer or other emergency
personnel.
In 2009, he was sentenced to a

second time and placed a hand-
cuff on Merritt's left hand. He was
able to get her out of the car and
to the rear of the vehicle.
As he tried to cuff her right
hand, she continued to resist and
"tried to turn around in what ap-
peared to be a fighting stance,"
the trooper wrote. He was able to
get control of her right hand and
took her to a grassy area nearby.
Merritt continued to resist, the
trooper reported, and wouldn't let
him secure her right hand.
She pulled it away several times

three-year prison term for mul-
tiple offenses, including failure
to register, grand theft of a mo-
tor vehicle, a second grand theft
charge, trafficking in stolen prop-
erty, and giving false information
to a pawn broker.
According to the Corrections
website, Plemmons' release date
in those cases was June 7, 10 days
before the complaint was filed ac-
cusing him of failure to properly
register.
Plemmons is flagged on the De-
partment of Corrections website
as having numerous aliases.
Officers also learned as the re-
sult of the chase Tuesday that
the car Plemmons was driving
had a tag assigned to a different
vehicle.
Plemmons, a resident of Bay
County, is currently charged with
fleeing and eluding, reckless driv-
ing, grand theft, driving with no
valid driver's license, and attach-
ing a tag not assigned to the ve-
hicle, as well as failing to register
as a-sex offender.

before he took more aggressive
action.
"I performed a take-down on
the driver in an attempt to secure
her without having to deploy my
Taser or spray," Eldridge wrote in
his report. "Once to the ground I
was able to get her right hand se-
cure and get her back up to her
feet."
The trooper took her to his pa-
trol car and put her in the back
seat. The car and the child were
placed in the care of the driver's
mother, the trooper noted.

Alabama deputies capture Florida fugitive

Special to the Floridan

Houston County sheriff's
,deputies arrested a Florida
man on. Tuesday wanted on
aggravated battery and kid-
napping charges.
According to a statement
from sheriff's office Capt.
Antonio Gonzalez, deputies
made the arrest as they as-
sisted the U.S. Marshal's Gulf

Coast Task Force. Authorities
arrested John William Dixon,
49, of Holmes County in the
1200 block of U.S. Highway
231 South.
The sheriff's statement said
Dixon was wanted on several
felony charges out of Florida,
including aggravated assault
with a weapon, aggravated
battery, kidnapping and pos-
session of a weapon by a con-

victed felon.
The statement said Dixon
was captured after a short foot
pursuit.
Dixon was taken to the
Houston County Jail and held
for authorities in Washington
County, Fla.
The sheriff's statement
also said Dixon is reportedly
a member of a motorcycle
gang.

Transocean: BP decisions led to Gulf disaster

The Associated Press

ATLANTA The owner of
the rig that exploded in the
Gulf of Mexico last year largely
blames oil giant'BP for the di-
saster in an internal investiga-
tion report released Wednes-
day that bolsters the Swiss
firm's arguments in the face of
lawsuits and expected govern-
ment fines.
The report from Transocean
Ltd. said the April 20, 2010,
Deepwater Horizon explo-
sion and resulting oil spill was
sparked by a succession of
well design, construction and
temporary abandonment de-
cisions that compromised the

integrity of the well and com-
pounded the risk of its failure.
Transocean said many of the
decisions were made by well
owner BP in the two weeks be-
fore the incident.
The 854-page report doesn't
say Transocean holds no
blame for what caused the
disaster, but it comes pretty
close. In one of the lew refer-
ences to something Trans-
ocean workers didn't, do cor-
rectly, the company report
noted that none of the people
monitoring the well, including
the Transocean drill crew, ini-
tially detected the flow of oil
through the well. However, the
report said that once the crew

did realize the well was flow-
ing, it "undertook well-control
activities that were consistent
with its training." Transocean
said the explosion was inevi-
table at that point.
Transocean said its evidence
indicates that BP failed to
properly assess, manage and
communicate risk. On one
key aspect the failure of the
blowout preventer to keep oil
from leaking into the sea -
'Transocean seemed to suggest
it takes no blame. BP's own in-
ternal report on the disaster
blamed a cascade of failures by
multiple companies. Govern-
ment investigations also have
spread around the blame.

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Fed acknlmowledges economy is growing more slowly

The Associated Press that a debt crisis in Greece months later, the S&P 500
couldspreadto otherheav- was up 28 percent. Lower
WASHINGTON The y r- ily indebted European na- rates made stocks more at-
Federal Reserve acknowl- tions and send shockwaves tractive to investors than
edged Wednesday that the through global financial bonds, whose yields were
economy is growing more markets. falling.
slowly than it expected. *. The Fed has kept rates Falling bond yields have
But it said it will complete : at ultra-low levels since also helped keep mortgage
its $600 billion Treasury December 2008. Once the rates near record lows. The
bond buying program by Fed decides to abandon average rate on a 30-year
June 30 as planned and an- the "extended period" lan- mortgage has stayed below
nounced no further efforts guage, it would be viewed 5 percent for all but two
to boost the economy. as a signal that it is getting weeks this year and was
Ending a two-day meet- ready to reverse course 4.5 percent last week. Still,
ing, the Fed repeated a and start boosting inter- low rates have done little
pledge to keep interest est rates. Many private to boost home sales, which
rates at record lows near economists think it will be fell in May to the lowest
zero for "an extended pe- another full year before the level since'November.
riod," a promise it's made THEASSOCIATEDPRESS economy has recovered Critics saw things dif-
for more than two years. A television monitor shows the interest rate decision of the Federal Reserve as specialist Philip enough for the Fed to ac- ferently. They warned
Fed officials said in a Finale works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday. tually start raising interest that by pumping so much
statement that they think down that's occurred over had little effect- on the Recession officially ended. rates. money into the economy,
the main causes of the the past two months. stock and bond markets. A spike in gasoline prices The Fed is also winding it increased the risk of high
economy's slowdown, The economy added just The Dow Jones industrial earlier this year made down its Treasury bond- inflation.

such as high gas prices and
supply disruptions from
Japan's disasters, are tem-
porary. Once those prob-
lems subside, Fed officials
said the economy should
rebound.
Still, the statement stood
in contrast to the Fed's
more upbeat view .when
officials last met eight
weeks ago. At that time,
the central bank said the
job market was gradually
improving.
The new statement ac-
knowledged the slow-

54,000 jobs in May, far few-
er than in the previous two
months. Consumer spend-
ing has weakened, too.
The Fed said it would
keep its holdings of Trea-
sury bonds at, current lev-
els. That policyis intended
to keep consumer and
business loan rates at low
levels to stimulate spend-
ing. Though the central
bank noted that inflation
has risen, it expects those
pressures to be temporary
as well.
The Fed announcement

average was down slightly
before and after the Fed
issued its statement at
mid-day.
* "The markets got exactly
what theyhad been expect-
ing," said Sung Won Sohn,
an economics professor at
the Martin Smith School
of Business at California
State University. "The fact
that we did not have any
surprises is comforting."
Bernanke and his col-
leagues are trying to keep
a fragile economy on track
two years after the Great

consumers and business-
es more cautious about
spending. Consumer
spending drives about 70
percent of the economy.
The economy grew at
.an annual rate of only 1.8
percent in the first three
months of thq year. It isn't
expected to be much high-
er in the current quarter.
Beyond high gas prices
and supply disruptions
caused by the earthquake
and tsunami in Japan, the
Fed is now facing a new
problem: renewed jitters

buying program. Support-
ers say the bond purchases
have worked, in part by
keeping rates low and en-
couraging spending. Low
long-term rates are vital for
consumers buying homes
and cars and. for compa-
nies making investments:
They also argue that
those. lower rates fueled a
stock rally. When Bernan-
ke outlined plans for the
bond-buying program in
late August, the Standard &
Poor's 500 index was down'
6 percent for the year. Eight

Negotiators tempted by gimmickry in budget talks

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON Ne-
gotiators seeking to carve
trillions of dollars from the
deficit are facing tempta-
tion to use iffy assump-
tions and outright gim-
mickry to exaggerate the
size of spending cuts to ac-
company any increase in
the government's ability to
borrow to stay afloat.
With both sides reluc-
tant to abandon long-held
positions Republicans
are against tax increases,
Democrats .oppose cut-
ting benefit programs like
Medicare those watch-
ing the talks being led by
Vice President Joe Biden
are on the lookout for a
familiar set of accounting
tricks.
Little wonder. Both al-
ready have employed such
tricks earlier this year in
making their budgets ap-
pear leaner than they re-
ally are.
The mostobvious options
available to negotiators are
to claim inflated savings
from trdop drawdowns in
Iraq and Afghanistan and
to have budget savings
pile up over 12 years or so
rather than the 10 years
that is typical when draft-
ing budgets.
And there's every possi-
bility that the'negotiations
will generate unrealistic
assumptions about cuts to
domestic agencies and the
Pentagon over the coming
decade and the real pos-
sibility of a deal that would
lack enforcement teeth.
Perhaps the most obvi-
ous gimmick would be to
claim the ongoing draw-
down from the troop surg-
es in Iraq and Afghanistan
as budget savings.
Already this year, both
President Barack Obama
and House Republicans
have claimed in their bud-
gets more than $1 trillion
in savings by taking advan-
tage of the peculiar way
government scorekeepers

r4 i 1. s

project war costs and by
lowballing projected costs
in future years.
Under the rules followed
Sby the Congressional Bud-'
*get Office, the agency cur-
rently projects war spend-
ing to grow with inflation
even as troop drawdowns
are ongoing.. That means
House Republicans could
claim more than $1 tril-
lion in savings by cutting
the budget for war costs
. to $65 billion for 2014 and
$50 billion a year shortly
thereafter. .
In the Republicans' de-
fense, they fWere simply
mimicking Obama's bud-
geting for the war, which
claimed nearly identical -
but equally iffy savings.
Democrats are pushing
to employ the gimmick in
the Biden-led talks. When
asked about the idea Tues-
'day, a' GOP participant
in the-talks said it would
be wrong to claim the
savings.
"It's not something that I
think you can legitimately
claim out of these talks,"
House Majority Leider
Eric Cantor, R-Va., said.
"Certainly the savings may
be there, but they're not a
product of these talks."
Another option is to
lengthen the time frame
over which any deficit sav-
ings accumulate from 10
years to perhaps 12 years.
That's the method used
when Obama claimed $4
trillion in deficit savings
when offering a revised
budget plan in April. An
additional two years of
spending cuts adds a dis-
proportionate amount of
savings since the cuts at
the tail end of a budget
window are invariably far
larger than those produced
in the early years.
So Obama's $4 trillion
in savings over 12 years
computes to more like $2.9
trillion over a decade -
and it's $2.5 trillion using
more conservative CBO
estimates.

4 a,'

The $4 trillion figure is
noteworthy because it's
the amount claimed by
Obama's deficit commis-
sion except the savings
recommended by the defi-
cit panel accumulated over
nine years.
Biden recently said the
negotiators were working
toward a "real serious down
payment on the'commit-
ment to four trillion bucks
(of deficit cuts) over the
next 10 to 12 years." And
Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., also-
suggested recently that the
savings could accrue over a
time period of longer than
a decade.
Not every.. budget ma-
neuver is a gimniick that
avoids difficult decisions.
For instance, a proposal to
lower the inflation adjust-
ment for federal benefit
programs and income tax
brackets to the so-called
chained Consumer Price
Index is a way to. generate
up to $300 billion in deficit
savings. The chained CPI,
economists say, would
more accurately reflect
consumer behavior when
prices rise instead of as-
suming they buy the same
"market basket" of goods
and services. 4
It would raise revenues
because it would push
more workers into -higher
tax brackets and it would
generate savings from
Social Security, federal
civilian and military pen-
sions and other benefit
programs. Democrats are
unlikely to permit the
chained CPI to apply to
Social Security within the
confines of the Biden-talks,
however.
Another area for poten-
tially inflated claims of
cuts involves the Cabinet
agency budgets passed by
Congress each year. This
so-called discretionary
spending runs the gamut
from education to defense
to homeland security pro-
grams. The overall cap on
such programs is usually

I *EIf*

set each year by the an-
nual budget passed by
Congress.
Even though the bud-
get sets a one-year cap,
policymakers invariably
make inflated estimates
of how much can be sated
over fivwe or 10 ears, even
though they're impossible
to enforce and are often
simply based on wishful
thinking.
Senate Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.,
an enormously influen-
tial figure, is pressing for
a R%\o-year cap set in law.
But negotiators may fore-

cast future savings based
on that cap, even though
prior estimates of multi-
year caps have invariably
proven bullish.

IHLASOCUIATEDLUPRESS
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (right) followed by Budget Director Jacob Lew, arrives at
the Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday for negotiations between Republicans and Democrats
Jin Congress on how to solve America's debt crisis and budget problems.

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BY DUSTIN KENT
dkent@jcfloridan.com
The Sneads Pirates had one
of their best days of the sum-
mer on Tuesday night in the
Alabama-Florida Summer
Shootout in Poplar Springs,
winning two of three games
and taking Dothan High down
to the wire.
The Pirates, who are sport-
ing a virtually brand-new team
this summer, took wins of 15
and nine points over Samson
and GW Long, and then fell to
a talented Dothan team, 67-62,
in the final game of the night.

Despite the loss, Sneads
coach Kelvin Johnson said his
club's performance was worthy
of praise.
"I thought that may have
been the best game we played
all day," he said. "They had, a
break between games, and we
didn't, and that may havebeen
the difference. Dothan's got a
couple of real nice players; and
* it was a good game right down
to the end. We just came up a
little bit short."
Sneads led 38-37 at halftime,
and the game remained tight
throughout the second half.

"My boys played very, very
hard. I'm very proud of them,"
Johnson said.
The coach praised' the per-
formances of Troy Durant and
Devin Hayes, who combined to
carry much of the scoring load
for the Pirates on Tuesday.
. Johnson said that this is still
a team that is going to have-
to rely on its defense to defeat
quality opponents.
"Basically, everybody is new,
so we're still having a hard time
scoring points," he said. "But
defensively, we really got after
it (Tuesday). We played (man

to man defense) in all three
games, and the boys gave me
good effort. They want to get
better, and they're working
hard for me." The Pirates have
traditionally played zone un-
der Johnson, but the coach is
experimenting more with man
defense this summer to better
suit this team's needs.
"I'm just trying to get them
to really get after it defensive-
ly, and I think the best way to
do that is man," he said. "The
problem for us we're so low on
numbers. I like what I have; I
just need some more kids."

COTTONDALE BiRSKTBALL

Hornets hit back

Cottondale's Jarrod Blount goes for two against Wicksburg on Monday night in Poplar Springs.

CHS tops Abbeville; wins rematch with Ashford

BY DUSTIN KENT
dkent@jcfloridan.com.
The Cottondale Hornets var-
sity team made it three wins in
four tries on Tuesday in the Ala-
bama-Florida Summer Shoot-
out in Poplar Springs.
The Hornets went 1-1 on
Monday, beating Daleville 47-
41 before losing to Ashford.
Cottondale came back Tuesday
with a pair of dramatic wins
over Abbeville and Ashford in a
rematch.
Cottondale jumped out to
a big lead in its second game
against Ashford, with DJ Roul-
hac's seven first-half 3-pointers
giving the Hornets a 50-29 half-
time edge.
Ashford rallied in the second
half to tie the game and send it
to overtime. However, Jacquez
Walker's turnaround jumper in

the., lane at the buzzer gave the
Hornets a two-point victory.
Against Abbeville, the roles
were reversed, with the Hornets
falling behind 12-0 and 28-6
early on before rallying to cut it
to 37-20 at halftime. The second
half belonged to the Hornets,
who outscored Abbeville 26-6 to
take a 46-43 victory.
Cottondale coach Chris Ob-
ert said he had mixed feelings
about his team's performance
during the first two days of the
team camp.
"In' three of the four games,
we've given up big leads at the
start of the game, and I don't
understand why," he said. "We
keep putting ourselves in a
hole that we have to dig out of.
You can look at it like it's a good
thing that we're showing fight
and a determination to win, but

you can't keep doing stuff like
that and expect (a comeback) to
always happen. We have to start
out faster."
Obert said his team simply
played with greater effort and
focus.in the second half against
Abbeville.
"We just started playing with
more energy, and we were play-
ing harder," he said. "Some
way or another, we got back
into it. Eli Jackson came in and
got some easy putbacks to get
some momentum going, and
Cliff (Canty) and Jarrod (Blount)
both did a good job of handling
the ball and making plays, and
we ended up pulling it out."
Cottondale was scheduled to
return to action on Wednesday
night in Poplar Springs against
Houston County, Rehobeth and
Dale County.

ARA Tournament

MARK SKINNER/FLORIDAN
Marianna's Gannon Davis waits on the call during a game against
Vernon in the AAA All-Star tournament in Bonifay Friday. ,

Bulldogs ousted

from tourney

BY DUSTIN KENT
dkent@jcfloridan.com
The Marianna AAA All-
Stars were eliminated from
the district tournament on
Tuesday night in Bonifay,
falling to the host team,
18-14.
Marianna finished the
tournament with a record
of 1-2, taking a 14-0 win
over Vernon on Friday night
before falling to Chipley 16-
14 on Friday.
That left Marianna with
no more margin for error
in the double elimination
tournament, and a nine-
run fourth inning by Hol-
mes County helped end
the Jackson County squad's
run.
Marianna led 4-1 through
one 'inning, and 5-2 after
three, but Holmes Coun-
ty's nine-spot in the third
turned the, game around,
with three more runs in the
fifth staking Holmes County
to a 14-6 edge.
Marianna answered with
three runs in the bottom of
the fifth to make it a five-
run margin.
Holmes County came
right back with four runs
in the sixth inning to go up
18-9. ,
Five runs in the bottom
of the sixth for Marianna

made things interesting,
but it wasn't enough to' get
over the hump.
Marianna coach Scott'
Bannerman credited H61-
mes County for its perfor-
mance in the convincing
victory.
"Bonifay is a very good
hitting team, and they came
out hitting the ball well," he
said.
"Give all of the credit to
their team for that. They just
out-hit us. With the 'errors
and walks on both sides,
the difference in the game
was their hitting. They did a
good job with that."
Bannerman said he was
happy with how his team
performed through the
tournament, as it put up
14 runs in all three games it
played.
"They're a pretty scrappy
ball team," the coach said
of his players. "They never
gave up. Whenever they
got down, they fought right
back and never gave up.
"They always had a good
attitude about it. Up un-
til the last out (Tuesday
night), they were convinced
they were going to win. It's
a good group of boys who
wouldn't give up. I think
that's the best thing I could
say about them."

Graceville Basketbanl

Tigers rebound for two after Monday slide

BYDUSTIN KENT .
dkent@jcfloridan.com
The Graceville Tigers
took two of three games
on their second day in the
Alabama-Florida Summer
Shootout in Poplar Springs
on Tuesday, bouncing back
from an even opening day
on Monday.
Graceville lost two of
three on Monday, falling
to Rehobeth by 16 points
after being crushed by Do-
than High by 34 earlier in
the day.
But the Tigers had the
look of a different team
on Tuesday, taking wins of
six and 25 points over GW
Long and Team Challenge
before taking the same Do-
than team it lost to by over

30 points on Monday to
overtime on Tuesday.
Graceville .still found
itself on the losing end,
falling 44-40, but coach
Thomas Register said the
difference in his team's ef-
fort was night and day.
"It was a totally differ-
ent team that showed up,"
the coach said. "The Do-
than game just showed the
games that if they come out
with a mindset to play, we
can play with anybody. The
first time we played them,
we just weren't focused,
we didn't play defense, and
we didn't play' hard. I'm
way more pleased with the
effort (on Tuesday)."

See TIGERS, Page 6B

MARK SKINNER/FLORIDAN
Graceville's Marquis White dribbles up the court during a
summer basketball game Tuesday at Poplar Springs High
School.

MHS Baseball

Bulldogs split two

against Chipley

BY SHELIA MADER
Floridan Correspondent
Summer baseball con-
tinued at Bulldog Field
on Tuesday afternoon,.
with Marianna hosting
the Chipley Tigers in a
pair of games.
In Game one, it was
Chipley winning 7-1, with
-Marianna,bouncing back
in Game two to take a 4-0
victory.
Madison Harrell took
the mound for two in-
nings for the Bulldogs in
Game one.
She gave up no runs on
three walks, while strik-
ing out two.

Trenton Nobles pitched
an inning and 2/3, giving
up five runs only one
earned on three hits
and one walk before giv-
ing way to Nic Helms to
finish out the game.
Helms gave up two runs
on two hits and hit one
batter.
Marianna's lone run
came in the third inning
when Tyler Colson took
advantage of an error at
third and moved to sec-
ond on the throw before
scoring on an RBI single
by Harrell.

Want more puzzles?
Check out the "Just Right Crossword Puzzles" books
at QuillDriverBooks.com

@ 2011 UFS, Dist. by Universal Uclick for UFS

JACKSON COUNTY FLORIDAN www.jcfloridan.com

NEA Crossword Puzzle

Annie's Mailbox

Dear Annie: I am having an affair with a
married woman. We used to live together
and then separated. Afterward, I begged
her forgiveness and proposed marriage.
She declined, but we continued our
physical relationship. She then abruptly
ended this relationship and married
someone else. Within months of her
marriage, she called to say she missed
me and wanted to be with me again. Our
affair is now in its second year. She says
she loves me. I have asked her to leave
her husband, but she won't. I have told
her if she won't tell him about me, I will
do it myself, even though it might mean
losing her. But I'm hardly a Part of her life
now anyway. Do I have a right to do this?
RIGHT ORWRONG

Dear Right: You shouldn't interfere in
someone else's marriage, either by hav-
ing an affair with his wife or by con-
fronting him with the information. Your
choice is to continue seeing this woman
or break it off. We will tell you this: She is

Bridge
Declarer should form a plan before playing
from the dummy at trick one. It is often true
that the longer spent preparing at trick one,
the better. Similarly, the defenders should be
wondering how they will get the tricks that they
need to defeat the contract. In today's deal, how
should South plan the play in three no-trump W
after West leads the diamond three? 4
North's two-heart rebid is forcing for one V
round, showing at least five spades and four
hearts. Declarer has only six top tricks: two
hearts, two diamonds and two clubs. He should 4
play on clubs for the extra winners. How many
club tricks are needed?
With four red-suit winners, South needs only
five club tricks, not six. That shouldn't be too
hard, but declarer must also wonder about a
key point once he has driven out the club
queen, how will he get back to his hand?
Yes, East might have the spade ace, but the
queen-jack of diamonds will generate an entry
as long as South takes the first trick with dum-
my's diamond ace. Then he overtakes the club
king with his ace and leads clubs from the top 2
to drive out the queen. Suppose West shifts to 2
a heart. Declarer wins in the dummy and leads
a diamond, setting up that hand entry to the
club winners. Note that if South wins the first
trick in his hand, he cannot make the contract.

not going to leave her husband for you.
She will keep you dangling on a string
as long as you permit it. Please let her
go, and find someone who is willing to
return your love and devotion.

Dear Annie: "Want To Make Things
Right" said her friend claimed neighbors
were bombarding his house with "rays,"
the shower made his skin burn and his
dogs refused to drink the tap water. I
liked your suggestion to contact the
Environmental Protection Agency. Too
many people have been labeled delu-
sional when there is a real cause.
The latest method of extracting gas
involves forcing chemicals into the rocks,
causing them to fracture and release the
trapped gas. Unfortunately, the process
can poison the groundwater supply.
Many incidents of poisoned animals,
sickened people and tap water bursting
into flames by a lighted match have been
reported.
NOT DELUSIONAL IN MISSOURI

Horoscope
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
Under no circumstances
should you permit an out-
sider to become involved
in your personal family
disagreements.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
Regardless of any strong
inclinations, you may get
to respond to some fiery
comments made by anoth-
er, be above it all.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Because your sales resis-
tance tends to be a bit low-
er than usual, either avoid
stores or be acutely aware
of your weakness and keep
your purse strings tight.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23)
*A serious argument
could erupt between you
and your mate if you allow
a subject to surface about
which you both have diver-
gent opinions.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov.
22) The ineptness of an
interfering busybody could
create problems for you.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-
Dec. 21) An acquaintance
with a chip on his or her
shoulder could cause a
nasty scene if you're not
careful.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.
19) Being an assertive
person can have both good
and bad results, depend-
ing on how you use that
quality.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.
19) Without realizing it,
if you're not careful you
could easily overreact
to someone's opposing;
viewpoint.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March
20) Ensure no one makes
a financial commitment on
your behalf without your
.consent, or it could cost
you a pretty penny, and an
only mildly attractive one
as well.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
Choose a partner wisely
so that you don't get in-
volved with someone who
doesn't appreciate the
value of teamwork. If you
spot any hint of self-serv-
ing ways, go it alone.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
Adopting a poor mental
attitude will make all dis-
tasteful assignments even
more repugnant.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
Instead of making light
of life as usual, you may
tend to take everything far
too seriously.

CELEBRITY CIPHER
by Luis Campos
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present.
Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
Today's clue: N equals M
"BG JDG SALZPLKJCCV .XJSGY TV
MDGJZ AFFADZKLPZPGI TDPCCPJLZCV
YPIMKPIGY JI PLIACKTCG FDATCGNI."
- CGG PJSASSJ
PREVIOUS SOLUTION: "The good Lord made us all out of iron. Then he turns
up the heat to forge some of us into steel." Marie Osmond
(c) 2011 by NEA, Inc. 6-23
.

Publication Policy Errors and Omissions: Advertisers should check their ad the first day This publication shall not be liable for failure to publish an ad or for a typographic error or errors in publication except to the extent of the cost of the ad for the first day's'
insertion. Adjustment for errors is limited to the cost of that portion of the ad wherein the error occurred. The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space
actually occupied by that portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred, whether such error is due to negligence of the publisher's employees or otherwise and there shall be no liability for non-insertion of any advertisement beyond the amount paid for
such advertisement. Display Ads are not guaranteed position. All advertising is subject to approval. Right is reserved to edit, reject, cancel or classify all ads under the appropriate classification.
S *E 0

Basic Pistol Training Course is a one day 8
hour instruction located in Clayton, AL. Local
Restaurants are available. Refresfiments will be
provided lunch on your own. Live fire will be re-
quired. Registration can be completed on-line
at the NRA Website. Training will be completed
by Certified NRA instructors. Course begins at
8 am sharpon June 18th, 2011. Other dates will
follow. Class is limited to 6 students. Instruc-
tion will be Power Point, Hands On, and demon-
stration. Topics covered will be proper firearm
handling, cleaning, and firing. POC is Michael
W. Canfield BSAH, RRT, EMT, NRA Pistol In-
structor. 334-379-0164 DO 12542

Wanted: Old Coins, Gold, Diamonds,
Guns, And Tools West Main Jewelry & Loan
334-671-1440. DO 12717

will attend public high school in
Marianna FL, Jackson School District.
Students will come on the Fl Student Visa.
They.speak English, are insured and bring
their own spending money. Host families
provide room and board and receive a
U .* -* E .

THE SUDOKU GfAME UJITH A KICK!e
HOW TO PLAY
Fill in the 9x9 grid with the missing
numbers so that each column, row and
3x3 box contains the digits 1 9 only once.
There is only one correct solution
for each puzzle.
GET MORE WASABI
PUZZLES ONLINE!
ARCHIVES AND MORE GREAT GAMES AT
BOXERIAM.COM

Wednesday's
WASABI SOLUTION
1 213 I@ 9 16 15Isi

--- ---- - -
167 64 8 2 1

@ 8 9 86 (D1 7 D 1 4
An nQ ()3 1 2 9 78 6
-_ ___ S____ -- -46978

BE SURE TO VISIT OUR
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Earn an average of
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Must have dependable
transportation, liability insurance
and a valid driver's license.

If interested, fill out a Route Bid at the
Jackson County Floridan
4403 Constitution Lane, Marianna FL

G ALM O E

ne successtui candusnre will;
Serve as the SAMS-E Clerk for the
battalion responsible for assisting the
Battalions with receiving and shipping
parts and equipment; o Coordinating asl
SAMSs reports for the Group (Army
Common equipment that must be logged
into the SAMS-E/2E); Responsible for
assisting the customer In training and
assisting Battalion SAMS-E clerks; Ensure
all AMSS reports are verified prior to
transmission; Request LAR assistance on
expediting long lead-time parts; Act as
SME for conducting property scrub
between: PBUSE, SAMS-E, and the MMDF
(property book scrub); Act as SME for
conducting property scrub between: PBUSE
and TB 43-180 (Calibration Scrub) Act as
SME on LIW registration cards (240&8-9s);
Act as SME on MMIS (MWO message
traffic); Act as SME on Webcats round
count cards (2408-4s); Act as SME on ILAP
(online review of 026 report);

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Must be able to secure and maintain a
secret clearance. --At least 3 years of
maintenance and 5AMS-E experience.
Knowledge on SAMS-E operations (92A

City of Marianna has a Patrol Officer
position available. Call 718-1001 for details.
EOE/Drug Free Workplace Employer

(W EDUCATION
f& INSTRUCTION

OR_ Get a Quality Education for a
*-** New Career! Programs
FORTIS offered in Healthcare,
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Call Fortis College Today!.
888-202-4813.'
COLFLXrgrE www.fortiscollege.edu.
DO 12622

Doublewide: 3 bedrooms, 2 bath mobile home
for sale. Includes all appliances (some new),
including washer/dryer, and some furniture.
1960 sq ft. Must be moved. $27,500
Call (850)557-3402 or (850)579-1251

Oh Tuesday, June 23, at 6 PM, the Jackson
County Board of County Commissioners will
hold its regular meeting at 2864 Madison
Street, Marianna, Florida.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabil-
ities Act, persons needing special accommoda-
tion to participate in this meeting should con-
tact the Administrator's assistant no later than
5 days prior to the meeting. The Administra-
tor's assistant may be contacted at 2864'Madi-
son Street, Marianna, FL, 32448, (850) 482-9633,
or (800) 955-8771 (TDD).

Tigers
From Page 1B
The Tigers were bol-
stered by the returns of
key post players Ali Wil-
liams and Allante Oli-
ver-Barnes, but were still
missing injured point
guard Rasheed Campbell,
whose return this week is
still questionable, accord-
ing to Register.
However, even without
their. floor general, the
Tigers showed more fire
than Register said he had
seen in recent games.
"It was different from
the tip. You could just
tell," he said.
"We were after every
loose ball, we were in
the right position on de-
fense, and we probably
out-rebounded them by
15. We just did all the lit-
tle things. I don't know if
they were just tired of los-

Bulldogs
From Page 1B

Andrew Shouse took
one for the team to get
things going in the final
inning, but three consec-
utive outs followed to end
the game.
In game two, it was
Walker Roberts .getting
the nod on the mound
and going three innings,
giving up no runs on no
hits, one walk, and two hit
batters, while striking out
four.
Tyler Colson came on
for the final two innings,
giving up no runs on no
hits and four walks, while
striking out six.
Reid Long got things go-
ing in the bottom of the
first inning with a lead-off
walk, with Colson follow-
ing with a single to put
runners at the corners.
Shouse took one in the
hip to load the bases.
Following a strikeout,

"It was different from
the tip. You could
just tell. We were
after every loose ball,
we were in the right
position on defense,
and we probably out-
rebounded them by
15."
Thomas Register,
Graceville head coach

ing, or they're listening to
some of what we're telling
them. But for one game,
we played pretty darn
good."
The Tigers were actu-
ally in good position to
pull off the upset over Do-
than after moving ahead
by six points with about
eight minutes left to play,
but a technical foul and
an intentional foul al-
lowed Dothan to tie the
game up and seize the
momentum.

Nobles singled home a
run to leave the bases
loaded.
Following an out on an
infield fly rule, Colson
tagged and crossed the
plate for the second run
of the inning.
Michael Lambe led off
the third for Marianna
with a single, then stole
second and third on
passed balls before cross-
ing the plate on a sacrifice
by Ethan Strickland.
In the bottom of the
fourth inning, Marianna
plated its final run of the
game.
Long singled to get
things going, but was out
at second on an attempt-
ed steal.
Colson singled and
moved to third on passed
balls before scoring on a
passed ball.
A strikeout and a ground
out ended the inning.
Action was scheduled to
continue at Bulldog Field
on Wednesday evening.

Recreation Football
Alford Recreation Association will
hold sign-ups for tackle football and
cheerleading today from 6:30 p.m.
to 8 p.m., July 7 from 6:30 p.m. to
7:30 p.m., and July 12 from 6:30 p.m.
to 7:30 p.m.
Registration will be held at
the concession stand, and fees
are $75 for football, and $65 for
cheerleading.
Age groups are 5-6, 7-9, and-10-12.
For more information, call Jason at
850-573-0900, Valerie at 850-209-
1031, or Rhonda at 850-573-1507.

Bike-A-Thon
The 5th Annual Little Zion Com-
munity Bike-A-Thon will be held
Saturday at 7 a.m. at 7562 Harvey
Court in Sneads, and it will end at
Howell's Fish Camp.
Blood pressure readings will be re-
corded before ride, with water stops
and security provided.
There is no charge to run, but
donations are welcome.
To sign up, call 482-8081 or 592-
2368, or stop by the Haircut Pad,
4468 Jackson St. in Marianna.

Summer Baseball Camp
There will be a summer baseball
camp from June 28-30 at the MERE
Complex in Marianna from 9 a.m. to
12 p.m.
The camp will be for boys and girls
ages 5-15. Cost is $75, and water
and Gatorade will be provided.
Hitting, fielding, and pitching
techniques will be performed.
Coosa Valley Academy head coach
Bobby Hughes a Marianna High
School and Chipola College alum
will run the camp.
Registration will be from 8 a.m.
to 8:45 a.m. on June 28. For more
information, contact Hughes at
bhughes@coosavalleyacademy.org.
a
Champ Camp

Former Graceville football star An-
thony "Champ" Kelly will bring his
"Champ Camp" back to Graceville
for the second straight year on June
30-July 1.
The camp will feature football in-
struction from high school coaches
and former players for current high
school football players.

Sports Briefs

To register, go to www.heartpower.
inc, or e-mail info@heartpowerinc.
org.

Chipola Swimming Lessons
Chipola College will offer pro-
grams for children of all ages this
summer.
Swimming lessons will be offered
for ages 4 and up.
Lessons are based on a combi-
nation of nationally-recognized
methods.
The following sessions are sched-
uled:'Session 1: June 6-16 with reg-
istrafion deadline May 31; Session
2: June 20-June 30 with registration .
deadline June 13; Session 3: July
11-21 with registration deadline
July 5; and Session 4: Aug. 8-18 with
registration deadline August 1.
Classes are available at 9 a.m., 10
a.m., or 7 p.m.
Sessions are Monday through
Thursday for two weeks of 45-min-
ute lessons. Cost is $45 for each
session. Pre-registration is required
with a $5 late registration fee. For in-
formation, call pool manager Rance
Massengill at 718-2473.

Chipola Baseball Camps
Chipola baseball will hold three
instructional camps for ages 8-18
this summer.
There will be a pitching camp on
June 13-14, a hitting camp on June
15-16, and a skills camp on June
20-21, all running from 9 a.m. to 12
p.m.
Cost is $100 per camp, but $250
for those who attend all three
camps,
There will also be a high school
showcase at Chipola Field on May
14 at 9 a.m.
Those interested can go to www.
chipola.edu and go to the baseball
web site to get a brochure, or call
coach Addison at 850-718-2243, or
coach Johnson at 850-718-2302.
Cost for the showcase is also $100.

Chipola Softball Camps
Chipola Softball Coach Belinda
Hendrix will offer two softball
camps.
A Fielding, Hitting, and Hustling
Camp for all ages will meet June 20-
21, from 1-4 p.m. Cost is $50.
A Pitching Camp for all ages will

meet June 22, from 1-4 p.m. Cost is
$50.
For information, contact Coach
Hendrix at 718-2358.

Marianna Swim Team
The 2011 season for the Marianna
Swim Team starts Monday at the
Chipola College pool.
The Marianna Swim Team invites
boys and girls ages 4-18 to join the
team. Registration will be open the
first two weeks of practice.
Swimmers must be able to swim
one length of the pool (25 yards).
Practices are held frdm 5 p.m.
to 6:30 p.m., Monday through
Thursday.
Meets are held on Saturdays
throughout the summer.

Marianna Volleyball Camp
Marianna High School will have
a volleyball camp for grades 4-8 on
July 11-13 at MHS.
The camp is $75 per student, and
will run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. each
day. For more information and to
register, go to the Marianna High
School web site.

Fast-Pitch Softball
Fast-pitch softball club team LA
Smooth is looking for a pitcher for
its O10U travel team.
The club is based out of Ashford,
Ala.
For further information, call Stacy
Harper at 334-726-1640.

Marianna Youth Wrestling
Team Dynamic Youth Wrestling
Team will continue practicing on
Tuesday and Thursday nights at the
wrestling room at the old Marianna
High School.
Practice will be from 6 p.m. to 8
p.mAll kids in Jackson County from
ages 6'and up are welcome to join.
For further information please con-
tact Marianna coach Ron Thoreson
at 272-0280.